Destroyed Collection (#48)

James Thomas Brudenell, seventh Earl of Cardigan (1797-1868) English cavalry officer: major-general 1847. Commanded the light cavalry brigade in Crimean War

View Of Fort Kinburn, Taken From La Lave, From His Battle Station. Otchakoff. Burial Men Of The Devastation. Gate Of The Fort Destroyed By The Bombing. The Crimean War, 1855. Engraving

Franco-Prussian War: Bridge over the Marne in Trilport Near Meaux, Destroyed by The
Franco-Prussian War: Bridge over the Marne in Trilport Near Meaux, Destroyed by the French 1870

Franco-Prussian War: Library of Strasbourg, Destroyed by the Bombing 1870

The Ten-Mile Race at Lillie Bridge between W. G. George and W. Cummings for Afaa
The Ten-Mile Race at Lillie Bridge between W.G. George and W. Cummings for Afa

Deir-El-Kamr, on the Southern Side of Mount Lebanon, Destroyed by the Druses, 1860 Engraving

Storm damage to shingle filled wire gabions on beach, Chesil Beach, Dorset, England, January

Erosion of sea cliffs with damaged road, Route 1, Westport, North California, U. S. A. February
Erosion of sea cliffs with damaged road, Route 1, Westport, North California, U.S.A. February

New farm in forest after recent clearance, Dakdam Highland, Cambodia, January

Illegal logging, impounded cars with illegally cut wood, Seima Protected Forest, Cambodia, January

Ring-barking tree to clear forest for agriculture, Prey Veng, Cambodia, January

Eroded sea cliffs and damaged chalets after December 2013 tidal surge, Hemsby, Norfolk, England, January

Eroded sea cliffs and damaged chalet after December 2013 tidal surge, Hemsby, Norfolk, England, January

Aftermath of fire on heathland caused by either carelessness or arson, Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, England, June

Fire on heathland caused by either carelessness or arson, Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, England, June

Italy, The Abandoned house
Carlo CarrA

HD 131488 planetary collision, artwork C015 / 0785
HD 131488 planetary collision. Artwork of two large rocky bodies colliding in the inner planetary system of the HD 131488 star

Planet destroyed by white dwarf, artwork C015 / 0781
Planet destroyed by white dwarf. Artwork of the white dwarf star GD 362 pulling apart a planet. The debris is being incorporated into Saturn-like rings

BD+20 307 planetary collision, artwork C015 / 0773
BD+20 307 planetary collision. Artwork of planets colliding in orbit around the BD+20 307 binary system, located about 300 light years from Earth in the constellation of Aries

Planet destroyed by white dwarf, artwork C015 / 0782
Planet destroyed by white dwarf. Artwork of the white dwarf star GD 362 pulling apart a planet. The debris is being incorporated into Saturn-like rings

Bomb damage, Great Yarmouth, 1915 C014 / 8164
Bomb damage. Wrecked house after the German Zeppelin bombing of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK, on 19th January 1915. This was the first bombing raid by a German Zeppelin airship

Destroyed reef from fishbombing
The sad aftermath of blast fishing revealed, a once beautiful reef system completely destroyed. Photographed at Mantanani, Sabah, Malaysia

Destroyed reef in Indonesia
A scuba diver survays a destroyed reef, probably due to fish bombing or a severe storm. Some signs of regrowth of coral are starting to show. Off the island of Halmahera, Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Hiroshima after the atom bomb C017 / 7751
Hiroshima after the atom bomb. Japanese city of Hiroshima after it had been destroyed by a US atomic bomb during World War II

Overturned car C016 / 2805
A car driven by a drunken driver, overturned into a pond

Damaged planet, conceptual artwork C013 / 9857
Damaged planet, conceptual computer artwork

Abandoned whaling station, Antarctica C013 / 7486
Abandoned whaling station. View over the remains of a British whaling station that was buried by a volcanic eruption in 1969. Photographed on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Roebling Wire Works after fire, 1915 C013 / 7363
Roebling Wire Works on the morning of the 19th January 1915 after a fire, that was started deliberately, destroyed over eight acres of property

Bridge destroyed by flooding, Indonesia C013 / 5080
Bridge destroyed by flooding. View of the remains of a bridge over a river. Photographed in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Temporary London Bridge on fire on the night of 11th April 1758. Intended improvements to the main medieval stone bridge didn t go down too well with the ferrymen who made their living

Blitz in London -- house in Carew Street, WW2
Blitz in London -- a house in Carew Street, SE5, hit by a high explosive bomb on 29 August 1940. Three people were removed from the debris

Information leaflet, rockets, WW2
Information leaflet published in 1946, summarising statistics on rockets (V2) which fell during the latter stages of the Second World War, with the number of people killed and injured

Fire at Great Tower Street, City of London, WW2
Fire at Great Tower Street, City of London, during the Blitz, Second World War, 29 December 1940

Aftermath of major fire, Smithfield Poultry Market, London
The aftermath of a fire at Smithfield Poultry Market, London, on 23 January 1958, looking north along the eastern gangway, taken about 36 hours after the fire had broken out

Ruined interior of Cripplegate Church, London - WW2, Blitz - 29th December 1940

Corner store ablaze - Blitz on London - WW2

Blitz in City of London -- Wood Street, WW2
Blitz in the City of London -- Wood Street viewed from London Wall, 29 December 1940

Information leaflet, flying bombs, WW2
Information leaflet published in 1946, summarising statistics on flying bombs (V1) which fell during the latter stages of the Second World War, with the number of people killed and injured

Destruction by fire of Collards Piano Factory
Destruction by fire of Collards Piano-forte Manufactory - Oval Road, Camden, London on 19th December 1851

INDONESIA. CENTRAL JAVA. Prambanan. Prambanan Complex, Hindu sacred place built in 10th c. and destroyed in 1549 by an earthquake. Hindu art

Milan Destroyed
The emperor FRIEDRICH I invades Italy, takes Milano with great destruction of the city Date: 1162

Quintus Sertorius (c. 123-72 BC). Roman statesman and general. Quintus Sertorius besieges the Lusones in Contrebia Belaisca Colored engraving

WORLD WAR II (1939-1945). Bombardment of Germany (November 1944)

Uzbekistan, Bukhara. The minaret is where the adhan, or the call to prayer, was issued, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

WORLD WAR I (1914-1918). Aerial bombardments by Italian planes on French territory. Drawing

Aftermath of a fire at warehouse in Bow, East London

The smoking rubble of Crystal Palace, South London
The smoking rubble of Crystal Palace on 30 November, 1936. The fire started after an explosion in the womens cloakroom, and consumed the entire building

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From Hogarth's Gin Lane to the demolished Tinsley cooling towers, destruction has left its mark throughout history. The haunting image of Newcastle Bridge in ruins takes us back to a time long gone, while The Redoutable at Trafalgar reminds us of the fierce battles fought on treacherous seas. As we gaze upon The Sinking of the Bismarck, we witness the power and devastation that war brings. But not all destruction is intentional; sometimes it is necessary for progress. The demolition of the iconic Tinsley cooling towers in Sheffield symbolizes a changing landscape and evolving times. Similarly, when flames engulfed Alexandria Library, centuries worth of knowledge turned into ashes. In contrast, destruction can also be an act of conquest or revenge. The King of Ashantis Palace at Kumasi met its demise in 1874 as colonial powers sought dominance over African territories. Likewise, Canterbury Cathedral Library suffered damage during WW2's Baedeker Blitz—a tragic loss for literature enthusiasts. Yet amidst chaos and ruin, resilience emerges. Just like the rebuilt Eddystone Lighthouse after its collapse in 1698 stood tall once again, humanity finds ways to rise from ashes and rebuild what was lost. And finally, there are those who bear witness to fictional destruction—The War of the Worlds transports us into a world where alien invasion threatens our very existence. Meanwhile, aboard Cutty Sark Clipper shipwrecked dreams lie shattered but serve as a reminder that even broken pieces hold stories within them. Whether caused by nature or human hands, destroyed landmarks carry tales untold—reminders that nothing lasts forever.